Can 15 to 20mms of Vertical Chin Lengthening Be Achieved In A Two Stage Approach?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I asked you the other day if the chin can, in a safe and natural manner, be vertically lengthened up to 15-20mm and you answered as follows:

“Getting the chin vertically increased to 15 to 20mms is best done by a staged vertical lengthening bony genioplasty. In the first stage the bone is lengthen by 10mms and then six months later add the additional vertical length required. No form of an implant does this very well became the soft tissue chin pad will not redrape up over the implant properly once it is detached for implant placement. It works in a genioplasty because the soft tissue chin pad at the bottom is never detached thus always follows the bone vertically down in a natural fashion.”

With regards to this I just had a follow-up question:

Is it possible to split the two stages into a genioplasty and then a custom chin implant? So for example in the first stage the chin will be vertically lengthened via a genioplasty, say, 10mm. And then in the second stage (4-6 months later) the chin will be further vertically lengthened via a custom chin implant, say, 5-6mm. Might that work?

A:Your supposition is correct. That would be an effective technique as long as the bulk of the ertucaly lengthenign effect is done by the bony genioplasty. (10 to 12mm bine first stage, 5mm implant second stage)

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana